Mardi Gras Parades in New Orleans

Mardi Gras in New Orleans = parades. Every year, over 70 parades roll through the city in the days leading up to the holiday, bringing large floats, music, performers, and of course, beads.

The parades are so popular, and so prevalent, that there are permanent street signs around New Orleans designating the parade routes.

Every day in New Orleans is a beautiful day for a parade!

The first parade that we caught was held by the Krewe of Iris. A “krewe” (pronounced just like “crew”) is what they call organizations that put on a parade or ball during Mardi Gras season.

The Krewe of Iris is the oldest and one of the largest female carnival organizations for women. The members must always wear masks and white gloves to maintain the mystery of the season. It was a special year for the Krewe of Iris, as the group was celebrating its 99th birthday!

I thought that the floats were pretty impressive. But as my friends warned me, and as this post goes on, you’ll see that this is actually a small parade for Mardi Gras standards!

Side note for those of you who are curious. You do not (and, in fact, should not) need to flash for beads during the parades. The parades are family events, and the people on the floats will throw beads down to anyone. So keep your shirt down, and your hands in the air!

As you’re about to see, not all parades are created equal. Mardi Gras has three “super krewes” which produce the city’s most visually-stunning parades. They are the Krewe of Orpheus, the Krewe of Bacchus, and the Krewe of Endymion. And we got to see all three!

The Krewe of Bacchus parade was the following evening, and we were lucky enough to watch it from across the street of a family friend’s home in the Garden District.

I had an excellent vantage point, inspired by the two year old next to us!

The Krewe of Bacchus parade has a reputation as being the most innovative. It’s also known for its celebrity kings. Will Ferrell, Nicholas Cage, Drew Carey, Dennis Quaid, Larry King and Dick Clark have all reigned during past parades!

Every time a float would go by, the masses on the ground below would rush up, begging for the beads and treats that were being thrown.

Not all beads are created equal. Some are made with unique materials, and others are collectors items. So it’s especially exciting when you score something unique.

I didn’t need to rush up to the floats. I was so tall that the revelers on the floats would just hand me cool things, like a drumstick, beads, and a light stick.

The floats were incredible, and exceeded all of my expectations. It was my favorite parade-watching experience of the week!

And we all were successful in our spoils!

A good rule of thumb for beads is that you can wear them around after the parades, but once you go home and change clothes, you shouldn’t put them back on to go out. Instead, you should have a blank slate so you’re free to catch more beads!

While we were out on Lundi Gras, the Krewe of Orpheus‘ parade went by. We were parade pros by this time!

These floats were also impressive, but if I had to vote, I think the Krewe of Bacchus wins!

For a complete list of Mardi Gras parades, including parade routes, click here.